Appropriate in PE?

I am a parent, rather than a teacher, but am keen to get professionals' opinions.

My daughter is 10 and attends an mixed independent school on the south coast.

This week her class were doing games on the school field, in their PE kit of t shirt, shorts, socks and plimsolls. It started raining but the lesson continued. Eventually, the teacher decided it was raining too hard to continue and moved the class to the gym for the rest of the lesson. There, she said that all the pupils had to take off their wet kit and do the lesson (gymnastics) in their vest and knickers and bare feet. She did let them go and get their vests, but my daughter, along with many others, doesn't wear a vest to school. So she had to do the lesson in just her pants. Do any of you here think this is appropriate? I was appalled when my daughter told me, and am seriously considering approaching the school over this. Your reactions are welcome.

I am a parent, rather than a teacher, but am keen to get professionals' opinions.

My daughter is 10 and attends an mixed independent school on the south coast.

This week her class were doing games on the school field, in their PE kit of t shirt, shorts, socks and plimsolls. It started raining but the lesson continued. Eventually, the teacher decided it was raining too hard to continue and moved the class to the gym for the rest of the lesson. There, she said that all the pupils had to take off their wet kit and do the lesson (gymnastics) in their vest and knickers and bare feet. She did let them go and get their vests, but my daughter, along with many others, doesn't wear a vest to school. So she had to do the lesson in just her pants. Do any of you here think this is appropriate? I was appalled when my daughter told me, and am seriously considering approaching the school over this. Your reactions are welcome.

As a fellow parent, I'd say that at 10 years old it isn't really appropriate. How did your daughter feel about it? If she was really bothered I'd have a chat to the school and then I'd go and buy some vests for P.E days just in case it happened again.

Rebacca wasn't distraught, but she wasn't happy either. She said she didn't like being like that in front of the boys in her class, and people walking past the hall. She also said she felt uncomortable because her knickers were wet from the rain.

I think you also need to consider what alternatives the teacher had. The pupils' kit was wet, and wearing it would be uncomfortable and maybe bad for their health. They have a curriculum entitlement to PE, and I think the teacher's idea of moving the lesson to the gym was the best available. Stripping to pants is not ideal normally, but I think justified in this situation. And like mistee says, buy a spare vest for times like this!

This was totally and utterly wrong. If this happened in a state school and parents complained then the teacher would be in serious trouble. Even so it is simply not an appropriate course of action, under any circumstANCE.

I am a PE teacher in an independent primary school and I would never dream of doing this! I think it is highly inappropriate. I am guessing that the PE teacher at your daughter's school is a specialist and therefore is unable to take the class back to the classroom to do another subject, as can happen in state schools. At my school, we ask for a spare t-shirt and jogging bottoms to be in the PE bag in case anything like this happens - it is also useful to have in school in case of othe acidents!

I think you also need to consider what alternatives the teacher had. The pupils' kit was wet, and wearing it would be uncomfortable and maybe bad for their health.

Oh come on, we used to run in the pouring rain in our P.E lessons it didn't do us any harm!! I would suggest the alternative would be to finish the lesson early and use the remaining time constructively. Anna, let us know what happens.

I am a PE specialist in a states primary school, and i wouldn't dream of doing this. The boys and girls in my class go into different rooms to change. If i were a parent and this happened, and would have something to say to the school, and i wouldn't expect this to happen again. It's not fair on the children. How are they going to get the best out of PE when they feel uncomfortable and embarassed?

Not appropriate. But if the pe teacher is of the zealot breed, so mentally tough that a bit of averse weather is not going to get in the way of things, I would perceive the decision as a loss of objectivity rather than intentionally abusive. If the school has a policy for pe dress, it should be adDRESSED there.

I don't want to sound patronising (though I probably will - sorry!) but personally I would appraoch the class teacher in a friendly way first. You'll probably find she is very apologetic and will feel terrible for any unintentional embarrassment. What I mean is, "in my day" this would have been acceptable and the teacher may genuinely not fully understand, so rather than "complain" I would say "discuss" and bring it up nicely. I guess you already know that though!

Just a different point of view- at age 10 I had started my periods and was wearing a 34B bra- I am sure there are other 10 year old girls at this stage of their development- and making them change into their kit in front of the opposite sex is inappropriate- let alone demanding a lesson take place while they are near naked.
I would complain.

Having wet kit is ok when you're running about, but in gymnastics pupils spend a fair bit of time sitting and listening. There is also the problem that wet clothing can slip on apparatus, wooden floors etc, whereas bare skin grips.

Thanks for all the messages and opinions. It seems most of you think this was inappropriate, which was my feeling. I certainly wasn't trying to paint the gym teachers as abusive. I think I will raise the issue with some other parents then maybe quietly with the class teacher. Re heartfelt's post, the school does have a PE uniform policy of white tee shirt and black shorts/gym knickers for girls, wit bare feet for indoor lessons. This is what they were wearing on the field, but with socks and plimsolls as well.

I think that in the circumstances, assuming PE had to continue, the teacher had little choice but to ask the class to take off their wet clothes. Perhaps though she should have given those girls without vests the opportunit to put on a top from their everyday uniform, perhaps a blouse or sweat shirt. What do others think? Unfortunately, I think pants were all they could wear on the bottom, as skirts and trousers aren't really appropriate for gym work. Out of interest Anna, what is the school's policy for forgotten PE kit?